50: A Haruka and Michiru Story
by therunawayrogue
Summary: AU tale inspired by 'Fifty Shades of Grey', of all things. Please read with caution as the story contains very intimate moments, mature themes throughout, and strong language on occasion. Thank you in advance for giving my first fanfic a chance.
1. 1

**PART ONE**

_"We will begin in two minutes."_

"Oh good, we're just on time", Michiru Kaioh whispers to her colleague as they attempt to squeeze through the large crowd. The other people at the event are already tightly packed together, all buzzing with anticipation at getting a big scoop.

"Just use your elbows," Mamoru Chiba urges, carefully cradling his camera against his chest. "Get us to the front, no matter what it takes!"

The aqua-haired girl laughs and warns her companion to be patient. "I don't want security to kick us out of out of here. This area of the company's not usually open to guests, you know". With a delicate touch and some subtle manoeuvring, Michiru finds a path towards the front of the room, and gently pulls Mamoru by the camera strap to join her for a perfect view of the podium.

The two representatives from _The Vancouver Post _settle in right as a hush fell over the crowd. It seems that no one wants to interrupt what is sure to be a memorable entrance by Haruka Tenoh, former F1 champion and current head of the world's leading luxury car company. Indeed, at her company's last press conference, Haruka had ridden onto the stage in a newly developed hybrid motorcycle, and promptly given it away to the closest member of the audience.

Of course, that had been a happier occasion, when Tenoh Motors Inc. was launching its most sophisticated line of vehicles. Now, as the crowd catches its first glimpse of the 27-year old owner and CEO of the company, it appears that even Haruka herself is acknowledging the relative solemnity of the occasion. Dressed in dark jeans, a simple black tee, and a buttoned-up golden blazer, the corporate magnate had taken a few steps back from her signature style that usually included a perfectly tailored suit, freshly pressed shirt, and carefully knotted tie.

As Haruka reaches the microphone, the cameras start to flash and questions begin to pierce the air. One after the other, experienced reporters shout out their queries and accusations, waiting for the head of Tenoh Motors to officially confirm or deny each of their leads.

"Ladies and gentleman. Especially you ladies out there. Can you _please_ just give me a moment to settle in before you devour me alive here?" With her trademark smirk and husky voice, Haruka is clearly playing to her strengths to gain some semblance of control over the room. And it is working, as the volume diminishes to a soft murmur.

"Now, I'm sorry to have to do this," the blonde continues, running a hand through her short locks to convey a sense of frustration, "but I just talked to our lawyers and they've advised me not to answer any questions at this time. You know how lawyers are. But Tenoh Motors will be issuing an official statement shortly, so I assure you that your editors will not be left empty-handed today." With a gracious wave to the crowd, Haruka turns to make her exit.

"WAIT!"


	2. 2

The sudden cry stops Haruka in her tracks, and causes the audience to burst into nervous laughter. Haruka looks back at the crowd, trying to locate the source of the interruption. The sound had come from Michiru, of course, but even the aqua-haired girl herself has not quite registered that she had made such a spontaneous decision to speak.

"Yes...miss?", Haruka replies, her bright eyes betraying her amusement at being interrupted by a beautiful, if naive, reporter.

"Well..." Michiru stalls, feeling her voice start to slip away. The pause only seems to amuse Haruka further, who isn't bothering to hide the arrogant grin that now covers her face. Regaining her composure, Michiru finds her tongue again and puts forward the questions that have been on her mind since she had first heard of Haruka Tenoh and Tenoh Motors: "Are you such a coward that you're refusing to even acknowledge the suffering of the victims involved in this case? Don't you give a damn about the people who use your cars - your own company's faulty machines?"

The tall blonde on center stage looks momentarily shocked, before quickly narrowing her eyes in clear anger. "As I said, this press conference is over."

And as Michiru feels a hand grab gently yet firmly onto her right arm, she knows not to push her luck again.


	3. 3

"Miss Kaioh, is it?"

"Yes, that's right," Michiru confirms, slipping out of the security guard's grip. Now that Haruka has left the stage, and the crowds have dispersed, Michiru doesn't feel that it is necessary for the burly guard to maintain his hold on her. "Am I free to go yet?"

"If you wish. But Ms. Tenoh has requested to see you in her private office. That is, if you're agreeable to that."

Michiru is surprised, perhaps pleasantly. "Can I bring my photographer?" she asks, gesturing towards Mamoru, who appears to be trying his best not to laugh at the situation.

"It'd be better if you didn't."

Looking over again at Mamoru, who is now making exaggerated shrugging motions and pointing at his _Vancouver Post_ press pass to remind them both of the high stakes, Michiru finally nods and turns to follow the security guard to the next room. As they leave the auditorium and enter the main building of Tenoh Motors, Michiru can't help noticing the beautiful glass sliding doors, the contemporary artwork lining the halls, and the elegant wood and steel furnishings present in every office. Apparently _luxury_ was not confined to the company cars.

"And I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name?" Michiru asks, her manners suddenly returning.

"You an call me Taylor," the large man offers, with a trace of a smile. "And Ms. Tenoh is waiting for you right through this door."

"Right. Thank you...Taylor."

The big man laughs at Michiru's hesitance. "Don't worry, little one, you won't get eaten. And someone will walk you to the front exit when your chat is over. All right? And Miss Kaioh?"

Michiru raises her eyes, not sure if she can be surprised by anything else that might be added to her current situation. "Yes?"

"I'm sure we'll be seeing much more of each other from now on."


	4. 4

Rolling her eyes, the aqua-haired girl places a hand against the door marked "H. Tenoh" and knocks. From Taylor's words it was clear that the company and its employees not only valued a sense of luxury, but also a flair for the overly dramatic.

The door opens quickly and Michiru finds herself up face-to-face with the wealthiest female CEO in North America, and one of the most powerful people on the planet. Or put another way, the person whom Michiru had publicly insulted, and perhaps humiliated, just a few minutes ago.

"I'm glad you could join me," the blonde greets, looking more casual in her now unbuttoned blazer. "Please, have a seat."

Smoothing out her light blue dress, Michiru chooses the chair closest to the door, and sits down rather stiffly. While she was intrigued as to what would happen next, part of her was already regretting entering this lion's den of sorts.

The sense of discomfort is not lost on Haruka. "So you don't feel safe here, but you do when you're in a crowd of journalists? You don't want to speak to me in private, but you question my integrity in a room full of hungry reporters?" Haruka's eyes flash in anger, before she shakes her head and lets out a loud breath. "Sorry. I forget my manners sometimes. What's your name, anyway?"

"Michiru Kaioh. Reporter with _The Vancouver Post_." Short and sweet.

"Michiru, eh? I would have thought that I'd remember such a unique name in the paper. What do you write about?"

"Mostly fashion, arts and culture, those sort of things," Michiru replies. She wonders now whether she is in Haruka's office for an ice-breaking conversation or a full-out interrogation. "But if you must know, I'd rather write about business, politics. The type of current events that have some more important meaning than this year's spring collection."

"Don't you want to keep on top of the latest shoe trends?" Haruka asks, her anger now replaced by curiosity and amusement.

"I was referring more to tops and bottoms," the girl responds, registering for the first time how lean and fit Haruka Tenoh looks in her current getup. Michiru had certainly taken advantage of Google Images before to 'research' the famous business magnate in her signature suits, but this casual look had its perks too.

"So where did you study at, Miss Kaioh?" Haruka inquires, continuing her investigation while sizing up the petite beauty. It seemed that Haruka couldn't keep her eyes off the other woman's body either.

"I did my schooling on the east coast. And speaking of my journalism training, I'd like to be the one asking the questions. I am the reporter in the room, aren't I?"

"Well you certainly proved that earlier, didn't you, Miss Kaioh?" Haruka's tone is still light, though the edge was creeping back in. "I've got an idea for you, then."

Michiru widens her eyes to convey her interest, and whispers, "Do tell." Having spent many years flirting her way through college and the office hierarchy, Michiru had developed a most useful skill of recognizing exactly when it would be advantageous for her to use her feminine wiles - even on other women.

"I'll give you an exclusive interview. You can ask me anything you want, from the most personal to the most professional, and I'll answer them. Tonight."

"Eager much?"

"Not so much eager as extremely busy." Haruka wasn't used to being on the receiving end of teasing, and her response was short on humour.

"And surely there's a catch?"

"Of course. If you consider joining me for dinner at the Top of the World to be a catch."

Michiru smiles slyly and ponders the offer. "I guess I could fit that in this evening."

"Good, because I really don't think you have a choice. Let's do 7pm. I'll have someone pick you up?" The blonde's voice slides from light to business-like, signalling the end of the conversation.

"I'll make my own way just fine," Michiru responds, standing up and heading towards the back of the office. "I do look forward to getting to know you better, Ms. Tenoh."

"Let's see if you still feel the same way after tonight," the tall woman warns, pushing a button on her phone and standing up to open the door. "Taylor will see you out."

As Michiru follows Haruka's guard to the front exit, she can't help but smile at the turn of events. Somehow, what started out as an obnoxious, if not entirely inappropriate, line of questioning had resulted in a dinner date. And at the fanciest restaurant in town, no less. Indeed, this seemed to be a perfect opportunity to learn more about the charismatic Haruka Tenoh - and a perfect opportunity to expose Tenoh Motors for the deceptive company that it was.


	5. 5

"Miss Kaioh, lovely to see you as always. We've missed you around here. Shall I take you to your usual seat?" The handsome host's smile is genuine, and his eyes sparkle as he takes in Michiru's graceful white dress adorned with a simple red brooch. "Brave choice of colour," he adds, raising his eyebrows in a suggestive manner.

"I guess I am feeling rather courageous tonight," Michiru says with a laugh. "I'm not quite sure what I'm getting into here, but it isn't the usual dinner occasion. Is there a Haruka here yet?"

"Ah yes, the famous Haruka Tenoh. I'll take you right over. This way, please." The host takes the lead, showing Michiru towards one of the outer seats in the revolving restaurant that would offer an unhindered view of the city. Before arriving at the table, the host leans down to whisper into Michiru's ear. "Listen, Miss Kaioh. I know that it's none of my business, but I just ask that you be careful. You're not the first pretty lady that Ms. Tenoh has brought here."

"I understand", the young woman replies with a sweet smile, "And I do appreciate your concern." As the host makes his exit, Michiru turns her full attention to her dinner companion.

"Miss Kaioh. You look...amazing," Haruka's voice is at its huskiest, and the look in her eyes reveals her approval.

Michiru is pleased, sensing that this game would be even easier than she expected. "You clean up well enough yourself," she offers, returning the compliment with a smile. "Quite handsome, even."

Indeed, Haruka is back to her formal ways, having chosen a white shirt with subtle ruffles and a bow tie, along with a dark jacket, to frame her figure. "I took the liberty of ordering our wine and our appetizers. I hope you don't mind."

The latter phrase is obviously a statement, not a question, and everything that Michiru has read about Haruka Tenoh's domineering tendencies is instantly confirmed. "Not at all," the smaller woman replies, reaching into her purse and pulling out her voice recorder. "A little wine will help set the mood for our interview, don't you think?"

Haruka's eyes narrow as she stares at the device on the table. "I'd prefer to use the term 'conversation'. And I'd much prefer that we don't record any of it."

"That's fine. But I'm going to start my piece by saying that you are most obviously a control freak who could benefit from increased yoga and meditation. We do live in Vancouver, after all."

Even Haruka can't help smiling at the joke made at her expense. "Fair point, Miss Kaioh." After nodding to their server to pour the white wine, Haruka turns her gaze towards the window. "Beautiful view, isn't it?"

"Absolutely. I love watching the waves, the ebb and flow of the tides. I could get lost in it all day." The aqua-haired beauty has a dreamy look on her face as her eyes follow the patterns of the ocean.

"I'm afraid that I'm going to have to interrupt your fantasies with some dinner. Why don't we decide what we're going to eat, and then we can get to know each other better?"

The two women place their orders, then focus on the wine in front of them in a surprisingly comfortable silence. Finally, Michiru reaches out to put the voice recorder back into her purse, and looks squarely on her companion. "Okay, Haruka-san. That's enough stalling. Now I want to know everything there is to know about you."


	6. 6

"Yes, that's right. I did grow up in Tokyo, and only moved to Canada after my racing career was over," Haruka explains, easily addressing Michiru's first question while they both pick at the crab cakes. "So that was about five years ago, now."

"And why did you choose to come here?"

"I find the people to be very...friendly," Haruka answers with a smirk. "And the Pacific Rim location and generous tax breaks help."

"I see. And how did you come to start your own luxury car brand?"

"Well, Miss Kaioh, if you had done your research, you'd know that I was supported by some wealthy benefactors, one lady in particular, in starting my company. And that it was an easy decision to create a car company, seeing as vehicles are both my passion and my area of expertise."

"You can call me Michiru, really. So in the last few years, you've been able to build up Tenoh Motors as a leader in your industry and -"

"In _only_ five years, I've established Tenoh Motors as _the_ premier luxury car company on the planet."

"Now Ms. Tenoh, you know that I'm adding 'arrogant' and 'impatient' to your character portrait here?" Michiru is enjoying herself, relishing the many opportunities to tease this corporate titan and try to get under her skin.

"Call me Haruka, I insist. And I'm sure you know from your psychology background that it takes a certain degree of confidence and self-promotion to be successful at anything in this world."

"My, my, Haruka. You've done your homework. I shudder to think what else you know about me."

"I'd have to say that your online profile was far too brief, though it told me enough to get a sense of who you are. Now your father's online presence is another matter. Quite the business tycoon himself, isn't he?"

"No comment about my father. But do you really think my profile is too brief?"

"It was barely more than the basics, Michiru. I would have expected more personality, more pizzazz, on a writer's page. It was so boring that I didn't want to Connect with you."

"What a shame," Michiru replies. "But don't you think connecting in person is better anyway?" With that, the aqua-haired girl stares knowingly into her dinner companion's eyes, teasing her with wordless possibilities. "Anyway, you're trying to distract me from my questions. Tell me how your hybrid motorcycles are doing."

"Sales have been strong, particularly amongst the Hollywood types. Seems that an environmentally friendly motorcycle is the hottest new thing."

"That makes sense. The rich and fabulous must love their toys."

"Oh, they most certainly do..." That train of thought is cut off with the arrival of fish and pasta at the table. "Bon appetit."

"Not so fast. Tell me about your family. You are adopted, correct?"

"Yes, my natural parents passed away when I was very young. But my adoptive parents have provided me with everything that I've needed in life, both financially and emotionally."

"Any brothers or sisters?"

"Only child, I'm afraid."

"No wonder you're so spoiled." Michiru's eyes light up at yet another opportunity to push Haruka's buttons. This is almost too easy.

"Oh darling, you have no idea..." It is Haruka's turn to look amused. "Now, let's eat, shall we?"


	7. 7

"I understand that you're a bit of a philanthropist?" Michiru is enjoying her seafood linguini, but not so much that she is forgetting her main purpose that evening.

"More than a bit. A portion of every single sale at Tenoh Motors, whether it's for a whole fleet of vehicles, a single car, or a replacement part, goes towards charitable causes."

"That's quite impressive. Any particular charities?"

"It changes depending on need. I try to support organizations that will benefit the most from my company's contributions. We will often try to assist if there's been a natural disaster or crisis. The earthquake in Japan, for example."

"Of course. And may I ask how much Tenoh Motors donated to that cause?"

"I actually don't know the exact figure. But it's quite substantial - I can safely say in the millions."

"That's amazing, Haruka." Michiru is sincere now, recognizing for the first time that her new acquaintance has a compassionate side to her. "I actually have relatives that live in that area. They survived, but their homes were flooded. Thank you...for helping."

"It was the right thing to do, Michiru," Haruka replies with a smile. "I guess I should also mention that I also went back to Japan and helped with the cleanup and aid. Got my hands dirty and everything."

"Did you really..?" Michiru isn't sure if the blonde was being serious.

"Cross my heart. So can you please include _that_ tidbit in your article?"

"I'll see what I can do. I don't want this to turn into a puff piece about you..."

"That's too bad. I do have many admirable qualities, you know."

"I'll reserve judgment on that," Michiru replies firmly, though she is suddenly feeling nervous. She had known going into this 'date' that Haruka Tenoh had a reputation for being genuinely likeable under her superficially charming exterior, and Michiru had been confident that she could avoid falling for any playful banter. Now the aqua beauty is not so sure. "And are you gay, Ms. Tenoh?"

Haruka raises an eyebrow and gives her companion a full smirk. "Really, Michiru? Look at me. What do you think?"

Michiru laughs, more out of embarrassment than anything else. It is clear from Haruka's style, her interests, and her well-known conquests of aspiring actresses and upcoming supermodels that the powerful CEO is the epitome of a butch lesbian. Michiru casts her eyes downward and focuses intently on her pasta, frustrated that her attempt to take control of the conversation has backfired.

"Anyway, I think the more important question here, Miss Kaioh, at least from my point of view, is: are you?"


	8. 8

Luckily for Michiru, she is saved by the restaurant's attentive service. "And how is everything tonight?" the general manager inquires, taking the wine bottle and refilling the two glasses at the table.

"It's perfect, Richard," Haruka says with a smile. "Miss Kaioh and I were just in the middle of some _interesting_ conversation topics."

"Ah yes, the always beautiful Michiru Kaioh. We haven't seen you here in some time. How is your father?"

"He's doing well, thank you for asking," Michiru responds, grateful for the intervention and the additional wine. At this point she feels that she needs both. "I'll be sure to give him your regards."

"Thank you, Miss Kaioh. Please enjoy your evening, you two."

Sipping her drink, Michiru tries to steer the conversation away from her sexuality. It was one of those things that she never quite knew how to talk about, and it made her anxious to have to address it at all. Suddenly she feels some sympathy for Haruka - it was never easy to be on the receiving end of a personal interrogation.

"I see that I've touched a nerve here, Michiru. While I'd like to be able to go easy on you, I have to remind you that _you're_ the one who brought up this topic."

"Ah...I see how it goes. The old 'you started it' argument. How mature, _desu ne_?

Haruka laughs. "I never said that I fight fair. Now answer my question."

Michiru sighs and attempts to formulate her response when she feels a soft hand on her shoulder. She looks up to see a nervous older woman holding a pen and a napkin.

"Excuse me. Oh, I'm so sorry to interrupt your dinner. It's just that I overheard the manager talking to you and recognized you after that. I'm a huge fan and I love your music. I have all your CDs. I wish you would release more! But I completely respect your decision to retire. The music industry - can't imagine how much pressure there is! Anyway, I'm blabbing again, but could I please have your autograph. It would really mean a lot to me, and my husband too. He's just over there."

Michiru looks to her right and sees a shy man glancing at her from a table nearby. Smiling, Michiru takes the pen and napkin, writes an appreciative note, and signs her stage name. Meanwhile, she formulates her perfect plan to take a break from her 'interrogation' at the hands of Haruka Tenoh.

"It's always a pleasure to meet fans," Michiru tells the adoring woman, handing her the memento. "In fact, the manager is a good friend of my family's. Although I haven't played in public for some time, I would love to share a song with you and your husband. Let me see if Richard will agree to that." Grinning mischievously at her dinner companion, Michiru stands up from the table and makes her escape.


	9. 9

"Ladies and gentlemen, may we please have your attention for just a few minutes," the restaurant manager announces into the microphone, quieting the dinner guests. "We have a special treat here for you tonight. Virtuoso Michelle Kaioh, who is on a break from the music scene, has agreed to play a short piece for us. Some of you may even remember her first performances here as a teenager, before she left us for the Big Apple and beyond. Now can you please join me in welcoming Miss Kaioh back to the Top of the World stage."

Feeling home again in the warm applause, Michiru takes over the microphone to make a short introduction. "Thank you Richard, everyone. Yes, it's true that I've been on a retirement of sorts. But I do have an original piece that I've been working on, and I hope you enjoy it. I call it...Requiem for the Outer Galaxy."

Taking a deep breath, Michiru holds the violin and concentrates on the feeling of the bow on the strings. While she had not played the instrument in public since her last concert over three years ago, Michiru had continued to practice at home as often as possible. So even though the violin at the restaurant is not of the same quality as her treasured Stradivarius, it still feels comfortable enough in her hands to do the trick.

Beginning the first strokes, Michiru is pleased with the sound and tempo. She had been experimenting with techno elements and a fast beat for the piece, to make it a better fit with the pop-classical hits that now played on radio, but this stripped down version is more in line with the sad nature of the notes.

The few minutes flash by in a moment, and Michiru sets down the violin to the sound of enthusiastic applause and cries for an encore. With a gracious "thank you, _merci_, _arigato_", she steps off the stage and walks towards her table of married fans. "I hope you liked it." Their beaming faces give Michiru all the feedback she needs.

Returning to her seat, Michiru finds another full glass of wine and a slice of cheesecake awaiting her.

"That was incredible...Michelle," Haruka praises, her eyes full of curiosity and wonder.

"Really, Haruka, I would have thought it'd be easy enough to find out my entire background online. I was critically praised for both my concert performances and albums, well respected in North America, Asia, and Australia, and still have a considerable fan base encompassing all genders and age groups. For being such a big shot business tycoon, your basic research techniques leave much to be desired."

Haruka seems speechless as she digests this information. But while her look of shock had turned to one of anger at that morning's press conference, the blonde's face now changes to one of pure desire. "Why don't we finish our drinks and desserts, and get out of here?"

"Sounds like a plan", Michiru agrees, slowly licking the cheesecake off her spoon.

Sometimes the game is just so easy.


	10. 10

"Thank you for dinner tonight, Haruka."

"It was my pleasure," the blonde comments, pressing the P1 button on the elevator.

"But I didn't get enough information from you at all for my article. My boss will not be happy."

"Just tell your boss to shove it." With that, Haruka turns around, places one hand on Michiru's waist, and directs the smaller woman against the back wall.

"Mmm, something tells me that this will be an extra long ride from the top down." Dropping her purse with a clang, Michiru rests both arms on Haruka's shoulders and runs her right hand through the taller woman's soft hair.

"You intoxicate me, Michiru."

"More than the wine?" Even in this moment, the aqua goddess cannot help herself.

"The alcohol has nothing on you." Using her height to her advantage, Haruka grips Michiru's hands and presses them both against the elevator wall. "You want this as much as I do, don't you?"

"It really depends on what you mean," the smaller girl continues to tease, though she sighs when she feels Haruka's hips pressing against her own.

"You want to feel my mouth on yours. My tongue on yours. My whole body on yours."

Staring intensely into the other's eyes, Michiru nods. "But slowly, Haruka-san. We barely know each other. And first kisses...we want to make the most of them, don't we?" To emphasize her point, Michiru leans forward, and drops the slightest traces of kisses on Haruka's neck and jaw line.

No longer demonstrating any patience, Haruka reaches her head down and presses her lips against Michiru's.

The smaller woman sighs, enjoying the taste and the softness of Haruka's mouth. Michiru opens wider to allow the blonde's tongue to explore, and moans when she feels the gentle yet persistent pressure deep inside her. She feels Haruka's hand caressing her stomach, then heading north towards her neck. Michiru lets out another moan as she feels the same hand pushing against her throat. How does Haruka know that she likes it a bit rough?

The elevator dings and the doors open. Evidently they are already at P1.

"Are you coming with me?" Haruka questions as she breaks away from their embrace and tugs at Michiru's hand.

"I'm afraid that I have an early morning tomorrow," Michiru explains, breathing hard. "You know how it is." The aqua girl places a soft and lingering kiss on Haruka's palm. "But I'd like to see you again...if only to finish off our interview."

The taller woman frowns, but relents. "Give me your number, so I can be in touch when I get back into town next week."

Michiru picks her bag up from the floor, searches for her business card, and hands one over. "Here's everything you need. Now good night, Haruka. Sweet dreams." With that, she pushes the blonde out of the elevator, presses the button to go up, and watches as the doors close in front of her.


	11. 11

Despite having arrived home in time for a decent night's sleep, Michiru still finds herself running late to her meeting the next day. As she bursts into the main boardroom with a tea in one hand and her notepad in the other, she is greeted by Mamoru's snickering.

"Michiru, Michiru, Michiru. You must have had an exciting night."

"Shhh!" the aqua woman hisses, exaggerating the sound. Their boss is not yet in the room, and Michiru is relieved that she was not the only tardy one that morning.

"Don't be shy. Tell us everything about the mysterious Haruka Tenoh...!" Mamoru is clearly enjoying the moment.

"Did you really go out with Haruka last night?" gasps Mina Aino, a young colleague who was naturally blonde and acted like it.

"She sure did!" laughs Mamoru. "Oh man, you should have seen the look on Haruka's face yesterday at the press conference." The photographer begins imitating the look of shock followed by disdain, when he suddenly stops and sits straight up in his seat.

"Good morning, everyone. My apologies for being late. Now let's be quick about this, we have a busy day ahead." As always, Setsuna Meioh, editor of _The Vancouver Post,_ is immaculately dressed and ready to get down to business. "Michiru, Mamoru - what happened yesterday?"

Kicking Mamoru under the table to stop him from giggling, Michiru updates their boss: "We attended the press conference, but as you know, Haruka Tenoh refused to give any statements there on behalf of Tenoh Motors. They did provide us with their generic press release in the afternoon, which expressed sympathy towards the victims but not much else. In the evening I had the opportunity to meet with Ms. Tenoh privately, and she has promised us an exclusive interview."

"Very good, Michiru," the editor affirms. "So you will be seeing Ms. Tenoh again?"

"Yes, that is the plan. I have not been able to ask her detailed questions about the legal actions, so I will press her for that information at our next meeting." Michiru kicks Mamoru's shoe again for good measure.

"Excellent. If we can get this exclusive profile, we're guaranteed to sell a few extra copies. God knows that the ladies seem to go crazy for this fellow." Setsuna directs a pointed look at Michiru, causing the aqua-haired girl to blush. "Although if you get any dirt on her and her company, that would make for a much better exposé. Now, are you and Mamoru still good to do a piece on the fashion launch this afternoon?"

"Yes, ma'am!" Mamoru states brightly, unable to contain himself any longer.

Ignoring the giggling to her left, Michiru takes careful notes of the rest of the meeting, then spends the rest of the morning typing up her thoughts from the previous day. She had actually written down a fair summary the night before, but most of what she had described was not appropriate for the workplace. Blushing again, Michiru remembers the feel of Haruka's lips on hers, the way their hips touched...Suddenly, Michiru feels a soft whack on her shoulder, courtesy of Mamoru and a copy of that day's _Post_.

"Stop daydreaming, pretty lady, and let's get to work."


	12. 12

By the time that Michiru returns to the office she is in a foul state, having felt frustrated all afternoon at being assigned to yet another fashion show, and an amateur one at that. Her mood lifts when she sees a lovely bouquet awaiting her at her desk. Although this is the typical response from a potential suitor, she is still pleased at the thought that went into it.

"Oh my god, they're so beautiful," sighs Mina, looking over the cubicle wall.

"Ah, Michiru, spoiled already," Mamoru teases as he walks by. "But tsk tsk, they're not even roses."

"That doesn't matter!" the blonde girl protests, "They're still gorgeous. Michiru, please tell me they're from Haruka."

"Indeed," Michiru confirms, glancing at the attached message.

"Let me seen, then!" Mina exclaims, pouncing at the card. "Oh my - 'It's nice as always on the Island, but it'd be much better if you were here. Come visit as soon as you can.' And look, a phone number, an address and return tickets for the float plane!"

Michiru laughs as she sees her colleague practically melt onto the floor. "Do you want these?" she asks, gesturing at the tickets.

"I wish!" the young blonde swoons, "But it's clear that Haruka Tenoh has a crush on _you_. I wouldn't dare interfere with such a blossoming romance!"

"Right..." Michiru smiles at the dramatic description, and wonders when she lost her own sense of delight and enchantment. "Well, I better clear my calendar for this weekend, then." As the aqua-haired reporter adjusts her appointments and internal deadlines, her smile drifts into a sort of frown. She tells herself to perk up about her upcoming trip, but in truth she is more nervous than excited at the prospect of seeing Haruka again. There was something about the other woman that made Michiru want to lose control...and Michiru just couldn't afford to let that happen right now.


	13. 13

As Michiru flies over the Pacific Ocean in the back of the small float plane, she lets herself sigh with contentment. Not only is it relaxing to be able to get away from the office and the big city for a few days, but it was always satisfying to be so close to the water. She sometimes believed that she would have been happiest as a mermaid.

When the plane lands, Michiru is not too surprised to see that Taylor is waiting for her.

"Ah, Miss Kaioh. I told you we'd meet again," he greets with a conspiring wink."Ms. Tenoh is in a meeting right now, but she'll be ready for you by the time we reach the cottage."

"Thank you, Taylor. It is nice to see you again, so soon." Fixing her hair and pulling her sunglasses down, Michiru follows the big man to his sports car, and takes a seat in the front.

"You know, you've really had an effect on Ms. Tenoh," Taylor blurts out as he accelerates onto the highway. "She's been listening to your CDs all week."

"Is that so?" Michiru laughs. "Well I guess that helps with my royalties." Seeing the quiet road ahead, Michiru settles back into her seat, allowing herself to get more comfortable. "And how have you been, Taylor?"

"Pretty good. Busy as usual. It can be hard to keep up with Ms. Tenoh's schedule."

"Don't you get any time off? It doesn't seem fair for you to work the same hours as a CEO."

"Hmm, I wish. But let's just say that I owe Ms. Tenoh as many hours as she needs."

"Oh really?" Michiru gazes at Taylor and tries for more information. "Why is that?"

"Ah, Miss Kaioh. I've been warned about you nosy reporters. And I think I've said too much already. Let's just listen to the radio, eh?"

"If you insist..." Michiru relents, though her curiosity is peaked. What kind of strange business was Haruka running?

Barely half an hour later, they arrive at their destination. They aren't exactly at a cottage, at least from Michiru's point of view. They are at a mansion, complete with a double garage, beautiful high windows on both levels of the building, and even a small fountain on the front lawn. Michiru reaches over to open her door, but sees that Taylor has already beaten her to it.

"Welcome to Chateau Tenoh," Taylor says with a flourish, gesturing grandly with his arm. "I wish you a most pleasant weekend. I'll be back to collect you on Sunday. And I guess I do get that time off now, so thank you."

"You're...most welcome?" Michiru offers, waving goodbye and then pulling her suitcase towards the front door. Remembering a similar circumstance from just a few days prior, Michiru reaches up to ring the bell, and waits to enter the lion's den once more.


	14. 14

"Darling, I've missed you." Haruka's smile is wide and her eyes are smoldering as she grabs the suitcase in one hand, and Michiru's waist in the other. "I'm glad you liked my gift."

"We almost had to call the hospital on account of an epidemic of young girls swooning," the reporter teases, enjoying Haruka's firm grip on her.

"I hope you were one of them," Haruka replies, running a hand through the aqua hair and down Michiru's cheek.

"Do you really think I'm so easy to win over?" the smaller woman asks, raising her eyebrows to distract herself from her racing heart. Slipping out of Haruka's embrace, she starts to look around at her new weekend home. "Now aren't you going to give me a tour?"

"Oh, of course. Where are my manners?" Taking Michiru's hand into her own, Haruka leads her companion around the cottage. "Here is the living room. The kitchen - help yourself to anything you need. A guest room. The guest washroom. The Red Room of Pain -"

"What?" Michiru halts, staring into the relatively small room accented in brown and red tones.

Laughing, Haruka squeezes Michiru's hand and clarifies. "I'm just kidding, darling. It's just another guest room that I really wanted to paint over in red. It reminds me of some artwork I really enjoyed at the Tate Modern."

Michiru is not quite satisfied with that response, and steps into the room for a closer look. "Are you sure? Is there where you take your young playthings and tie them up to the ceiling?"

"Really, Michiru, what kind of depraved person do you think I am?" Haruka's eyes are smoldering again as she takes in the aqua girl's form-fitting polka dot dress. "I don't need a separate room just for that!" With that exclamation, the blonde guides Michiru out of the red room, and towards the master bedroom. "Now _this_ is where I take my conquests."

"Ah, I see," the reporter whispers, admiring the spacious surroundings and luxurious bed. Feeling Haruka's lips on the back of her neck, Michiru sighs and makes no effort to resist. It is clear that the blonde knows what she's doing. "You know, Haruka, eventually I actually do need to get enough information from you to write a headline story..."

"Mmm, I haven't forgotten. I promise we'll get to that...soon," the tall woman assures, directing her visitor towards the bed. "For now, I just want you to feel welcome at my Island getaway..." Continuing her exploration of Michiru's neck, Haruka uses her hands to press down on the smaller girl's back, so that the aqua beauty has no choice but to brace herself against the bed. Reaching around to the front of the polka dot dress, Haruka uses her left hand to navigate from the throat downwards, causing Michiru to breath heavily. "You are the most gorgeous girl in the world. But you already know that, don't you?"

"Of course," Michiru sighs, lost in the feeling of Haruka's hands on her neck, her breasts, her stomach. "But I bet you tell every girl that." She feels Haruka tugging at the zipper on the back of her dress, and soon finds herself standing only in her bra and underwear. Michiru can't help but pant when she feels Haruka's mouth pressed against her back, her tongue marking patterns up and down the smaller woman's smooth skin.

"You're a mystery to me, Michiru", the blonde continues, letting her strong hands work their way up from Michiru's ankles. "On the one hand, you seem so sweet and innocent." Haruka takes the liberty of squeezing her companion's cheeks, then giving a sharp smack to the right side. "And yet I think you would give yourself over to just about anyone," the blonde guesses, pulling down the other girl's panties in one swift motion.

"Are you insinuating that I'm a slut?" Michiru asks, turning her head to look back at the woman who is currently driving her crazy with desire. She feels her bra slip away and Haruka's fingers tugging at her nipples, playing with them and making them harden. She moans and knows that as insulting as Haruka's words may be to her sense of honour, the blonde is not exactly wrong.

"Don't twist my words," the tall woman cautions, using her right hand to tease between Michiru's folds, feeling the heat there. "I'm just implying that you're a modern female. Liberated. Strong. Someone who knows what she wants."

Michiru gasps at the intrusion between her legs. "And what it is that I want right now?"

Haruka's fingers circle her companion's clit, alternating light touches with firm pressure. The smaller woman buckles, making the blonde smirk. "Isn't it obvious?" The teasing over for now, Haruka slides two fingers into the aqua-haired beauty, pulls them back, and repeats the process. Establishing a persistent rhythm, the room is soon filled with the sound of Michiru's moans as the blonde continues to assert her presence.

As the pace increases, Michiru feels herself tightening around Haruka's experienced fingers. She gasps again as she feels the blonde's tongue licking at her wetness, and feels her body release the tension in waves as she surrenders herself to the moment.

This is not how Michiru had imagined spending the first hour of her visit, and she knows that this means trouble.


	15. 15

"Did you have a good nap, my dear?" Haruka asks with a cocky grin as Michiru enters the kitchen.

"It was a much needed rest," the reporter concedes, pulling herself up on the bar stool beside the blonde. Having changed into just a tank top and shorts after her shower, the aqua woman feels fully refreshed. Helping herself to the orange slices set out on the table, Michiru looks at her companion's face, her first clear view of it that day. Her heart racing again, Michiru admits to herself that she does find Haruka to be pretty damn sexy.

"You really are the most amazing woman I've met in a long time," the blonde compliments, picking at some strawberry slices. "I'm glad you were so rude to me the other day."

Laughing, Michiru rubs one leg against Haruka's jeans. "At least now you know I'll do anything to ask the questions on my mind. Speaking of which..."

"Yes, yes, I know. You want answers. Lots of them. All in due course, darling."

"Why do I feel like you just keep saying that?"

"Probably because I am. It's just...I'm not sure if I'm ready to tell you everything there is to know about me. Somehow, I think you're going to dig deeper than any other reporter I've spoken with. Uncover things about me that I'd rather not talk about."

"Well, that is my job," Michiru affirms, brushing a hand through Haruka's blonde locks. She is already loving the feeling of performing such a simple gesture.

"If I distract you for the rest of the afternoon and promise to give you what you ask tonight, would that do?"

"Don't you think you've already distracted me enough?" Michiru teases, her eyes shining at the memory of what she had just experienced.

"Hmm, much as I'd love to do _that_ again, I actually do have to get a few things sorted out for the company as soon as possible. So let me show you what I had in mind instead." Helping the smaller woman off the bar stool, Haruka guides Michiru towards another room. "I forgot this on the tour, but this is my music room."

Michiru glances around and is impressed by the baby grand piano, the assortment of guitars, and the beautiful violin in the corner. "Do you play all these?"

"Not the violin - that's a new acquisition," Haruka explains. "And let's say that my guitar skills leave much to be desired. But I am half decent on the piano at least."

"See, Haruka, you are capable of answering questions directly and honestly," the aqua girl praises. "Now leave me be with your toys here, and come find me again when you're ready."

"Yes, ma'am," Haruka gently mocks, stepping out as delicate tones of the violin begin to fill the room for the first time.


	16. 16

"A private dining room with an ocean view? And I thought dinner at Top of the World was fancy enough..."

"Give me more credit, Michiru. You should know by now that I have expensive tastes." Haruka pulls out the chair for her companion, then takes her own seat. "Anyway, a little privacy will be more conducive to our 'conversation', don't you think?"

"Of course. Now where did I put that recorder?" Giggling as Haruka's eyes narrow, Michiru sets down her purse on the floor without reaching inside. "Haruka, you are far too easily riled. You need to relax. Maybe a full-body massage will help?" The aqua woman smiles coyly and takes a sip of her water.

"We'll have to schedule that soon," Haruka agrees, raising her eyebrows. She pours a glass of red for her guest, then one for herself.

Reaching for the wine, Michiru begins her questions. "Now yesterday you were explaining that your new line of hybrid motorcycles is faring well, particularly with the celebrity crowd. But what about the rest of your fleet? How have sales been this fiscal year, in light of the impending criminal and civil actions against your company?"

"Wow, Michiru, you're not gentle at all."

"I will be later, when we're truly alone," the smaller woman assures. "But for now, answer."

"Overall sales are at about 75% of where they were at this time last year. Purchases of our SUVs have been particularly low. It's impossible to say how much of the decrease is due to the general downswing in the market, and how much may be related to these current lawsuits. Despite the decrease in our sales figures, our stock has only declined a minimal amount, indicating that our investors remain confident in our company and in our company's recovery."

The aqua-haired girl nods, taking in the information. "And how about your own fortune? As owner and CEO, have you been personally impacted by the slow sales?"

Haruka bristles at the question. "Of course. Lower profits naturally translates into a lower paycheque. And none of the corporate officers are earning bonuses this year. We're putting as much of our financial resources back into the company as possible."

"What about the lawsuits themselves? These are serious allegations that your company, and you personally, knew about the faulty braking systems before the SUVs were released for sale. And yet, none of the cars were recalled, and a half dozen people have had their lives changed forever after being in your vehicles. What is your company's position on these actions?"

"I'm under strict orders from my lawyers not to divulge details about our official legal position. But I can tell you that we plan on disputing every allegation raised against us, and will fight them in court for as long as it takes to clear our company's name."

"So Tenoh Motors denies responsibility for these accidents?"

"Yes."

"And you're not willing to agree to a settlement with the victims?"

"I can't answer that right now."

"Tell me about decision to retire from the F1 circuit."

Giving Michiru a look of confusion at the sudden change in topics, Haruka sips at her wine and is slow to respond. "I guess I wanted to leave the world of racing when I was still a champion. I didn't want to be one of those professionals who slowly declines over the years until they're just a shell of what they used to be. I always dreamed of being number one, I achieved my dream, and that was satisfying enough."

"And do you feel that you've reached number one in the automobile industry?"

"If you had asked me that six months ago, I would have said yes in an instant. But now...Tenoh Motors has some ground to make up. These accidents were unfortunately, and they've impacted our image and our bottom line. I can't honestly say that we're the clear winner anymore, and that bothers me to no end."

"Where did you get your sense of purpose?" Michiru wonders this more for herself than for her future article, and Haruka can sense it as well.

"I don't feel that I have to describe it to you," the blonde begins. "Not because I'm dodging the question, or trying to be mysterious. But because I know that you already understand how it feels." Haruka takes Michiru's right hand into her own and gives a soft squeeze. "We're alike, I can tell. We both want to be perfect at everything we do. From our most private passions to our most public pursuits, we can't stand the thought of being anything less than the best. We will commit our minds, our bodies, our very souls to the causes that we believe in most. And when we get that way, there is nothing in this universe that can stop us."

Michiru's heart is pounding hard again, but for other reasons this time, and the best she can do is nod.

.


	17. 17

"Listen, Michiru...I have to clarify a few things with you." Haruka seems unusually hesitant as she opens the passenger door of her yellow convertible. As she climbs into her own seat and starts the car, the blonde looks over at her companion. "See...the truth is, I don't really do relationships."

"Is that right?" Michiru replies, though she is somewhat distracted, still mulling over Haruka's answers from the evening. Of course, having written a number of 'society pages' for the _Vancouver Post_ under a pen name, Michiru was already well aware of Haruka's tendency to have a new girl on her arm for each special occasion.

"It's my own fault. It's just that my duties as CEO keep me far too busy to have any sort of ongoing commitments." Haruka accelerates smoothly, shifting gears with ease to navigate the many bends in the road.

"I understand, Haruka. That's the best BS excuse there is."

The tall woman laughs, not sure how serious Michiru is being. "But here's the thing... I really want to keep seeing you after this weekend."

"We might be able to work something out," the aqua woman offers, flipping her hair. "I don't need you to be exclusive. I know you're rather famous, and I'm sure there are more than a few girls who want to go cruising along the beach in your car."

Haruka laughs again. "I'm sure there are. But none as special as you." Reaching over to take Michiru's hand, the blonde seems suddenly curious. "I feel like you've learned more than enough about me tonight, but I still hardly know you at all."

"Well, ask away. It's only fair. And if you're still curious by the time we get back to the cottage...then I'll just have to distract you again."

"Mmm. I'll think about that later. For now, let's start with the basics. How long have you been with the _Post_?"

"Just for the last four months or so. I just moved back to Vancouver earlier this year from the east coast. It was the first position that I applied for, and luckily enough I got it."

"Did you seduce the boss?" Haruka teases.

Michiru feigns indignation. "Fortunately there was no need. My credentials did the trick on their own. And besides, I don't think Ms. Setsuna Meioh would have been particularly receptive to my advances."

"Setsuna? She's the editor?" the blonde frowns, looking deep in thought.

"You know her."

"From a long time ago. For some reason I thought she was still in Japan or Hong Kong, perhaps. I didn't realize she was here. She's never at the local charity functions or anything like that."

"No, Setsuna usually asks someone else to go in her place. So how do you know her, anyway?"

"I'd rather not say...", though Haruka raises an eyebrow suggestively.

"I wish I hadn't asked," Michiru responds, making a face at the thought of her supervisor and Haruka together.

"This is what happens when a reporter's too curious," the tall woman continues, laughing again at Michiru's look of disgust. Parking the car, Haruka turns to look at her companion with a thoughtful expression. "Actually, I do have a serious proposal for you. Let's talk about it inside."


	18. 18

"I'm going to fix myself a drink. Do you want anything?"

"I'm fine, thank you," Michiru answers, although she admires the setup of the bar.

"Impressive, right?" Haruka boasts. "Are you sure you don't want anything?"

"The wine at dinner was more than enough, but thank you. Anyway, I'm nervous about what kinky proposal you're going to suggest to me."

"Ah, I see. Well sorry to disappoint, but it's not particularly kinky at all." With a Scotch in hand, Haruka relaxes onto one of the couches in the living room. "In fact, it's quite ordinary. Come here, darling, and I'll tell you more," she continues, patting the seat beside her.

Michiru takes the bait, but chooses to straddle the blonde rather than accept the empty seat. "Yes?"

Grinning, Haruka reveals her intentions. "I'd like you to come work for me. In fact, I already have a contract ready. Just needs your signature." With her free hand, Haruka reaches inside her blazer pocket.

"You were carrying around a contract in your pocket all evening?"

"Let's not be silly, Michiru. It's on my phone." Unlocking her smartphone, Haruka opens up the file and shows it to her companion. "Very simple. Come work for me as my company's publicist. Take care of our PR, our press releases, our social media. Prepare me for interviews - you're already quite good at that, judging from this afternoon's performance. You'll see that the pay and benefits are...very reasonable. So what do you say?"

Reaching for the phone, and simultaneously grinding herself against the blonde, Michiru can't help playing out the offer. "Haruka Tenoh, you just want me to work _under you_ whenever you need it."

The blonde grunts and shakes her head. "Not at all. I wouldn't have to pay for that."

Tugging firmly at Haruka's tie, and feeling satisfied when the tall woman lets out a groan, Michiru scrolls through the contract. As Haruka had described, it is a relatively basic agreement that provided for generous compensation.

"You know I can't accept, _baka_. I'm a serious journalist, not your personal spin doctor. You'll have to find some other willing victim." Placing the phone back into the blonde's pocket, Michiru then guides her hand down to Haruka's belt buckle and easily dispenses with the obstacle. As she reaches under fabric and begins to move her fingers in a circular motion, she also lays firm kisses on Haruka's neck and chest. The two women move together, and it is not long before the blonde fully loses herself to the aqua goddess.


	19. 19

"Good morning, darling," Haruka murmurs, pulling the other woman tighter against her.

Smiling sleepily, Michiru snuggles in closer to Haruka's warm body. The wine had hit her harder than she expected, as she could not quite remember how they ended up naked in bed. But it was so comfortable in the sheets, and Michiru's imagination easily filled in the blanks.

"I guess we should have some breakfast..." the blonde suggests, slowly rubbing Michiru's back. Lazy Sundays were always the most enjoyable times of the week.

"Mm hmm," the petite girl agrees, appreciating both the embrace and the massage. Life was so simple when it involved waking up in someone else's strong arms.

After playfully slapping Michiru on the ass, Haruka clambers out of bed and jumps in the shower. Michiru soon joins her, and the two share a sinfully long and steamy soak.

Close to an hour later the two women are finally sitting down for omelettes and a continuation of their conversation from the night before.

"I emailed you the contract," Haruka states. "I want you to look at it again and consider it carefully."

"I'm sure the contract itself is fine," Michiru responds, starting to feel exasperated at Haruka's stubborn ways. "It's the entire idea that I'm rejecting."

"Ouch," Haruka remarks, feigning hurt feelings. "Would it really be so awful to work for me?"

"Probably not," the aqua woman concedes, "but I already have a job. One that I value very much. Speaking of which, I'm behind in my work after this weekend, and need to catch the afternoon plane."

"I'll make sure Taylor's here by twelve, then," Haruka says briskly, a business-like edge returning to her voice. She looks down to send a text message to her employee.

"Darling..." Michiru begins, borrowing Haruka's favourite endearment. As the blonde looks up with sulky eyes, Michiru pulls her in by the hair for a lingering kiss. "You don't hear no very often, do you?"

"Definitely not," Haruka agrees, and the two are occupied until the doorbell rings at noon.


	20. 20

The next morning Michiru opts to cheat a little and work from home instead of going into the office. She is well aware that this decision will likely lend itself to scandalous rumours in the _Post _gossip mill, but the reality is that she needs some privacy to catch up on her assignments and contemplate her current circumstances.

The first thing she takes care of is touching base with her superior. Calling the number by memory, she gives an update on the situation and asks how to proceed. "I sense that there's a lot more to this story than I've been told, and the best way to get to the bottom of the situation might be from the inside," Michiru concludes, waiting for instructions.

"I think you're on the right track," her boss responds. "But try to play it out further before you commit. You may be able to gain more insight without agreeing to all of the terms that Tenoh has proposed. We don't want anything to interfere with your position at the newspaper."

"_Hai_," Michiru agrees. "I'll keep you in the loop." Satisfied with the provided directions, the young reporter spends the rest of the morning drafting "Inside the World of Haruka Tenoh: Part 1", and emails it to Setsuna. So far the piece sounded more like an endorsement of Haruka's rich and fabulous lifestyle than anything else, and Michiru wonders whether she might as well work for Tenoh Motors after all and earn three times the salary.

Hearing her cell phone ring, Michiru sees that it is the number for the _Post_ and is surprised that Setsuna is already ready to give her feedback about her piece. However, instead of hearing her editor's voice, Michiru finds herself listening to the husky tone of one Haruka Tenoh.

"I was trying to reach you at your desk, but a little bird told me that you're working from home and kindly transferred my call," the CEO explained by way of greeting.

"Hmm, I'm putting a reminder in my calendar to punish Mina tomorrow for indulging your stalker tendencies," Michiru replies, only half joking.

"Darling, why don't you leave the punishing to me. You know I'm good at it."

Michiru can't hold back her smile. "If you're just calling to flirt, then I have to tell you that I'm a very busy and important person. Please disturb me another time, preferably over lobster."

Laughing, Haruka admonishes Michiru for her expensive tastes. "Just a few dates with me and you're already raising the stakes to lobster dinner, eh? What next? Want me to get you a new laptop? New car?"

"A Macbook and an Audi R8 _would_ be nice..." the reporter teases.

"Tell you what. You come work for my company, and I'll throw in a laptop and one of our company's sports cars. On loan."

Michiru sighs in frustration. "Are you really starting this up again, Haruka?"

"Maybe. But I'm raising the stakes on my end too. Why don't you come for another tour of Tenoh Motors, and _then_ make up your mind?"

"Fine. When?"

"Oh good, you're learning not to argue with me. The tour will be from Wednesday morning until Thursday evening."

"Two days for a 'tour', Haruka? Can you be any more transparent?" Michiru feels her eyes rolling as she calls the blonde out on her plan.

"You have no faith, Michiru, no faith at all. Clear your calendar, and have your bags packed."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously. What, did I forget to mention that our other office is in New York City?"


	21. 21

It had been a few years since Michiru had travelled first class, and she has to admit that it feels rather nice to enjoy high quality food and wine on the way to NYC. She had even been recognized by a few admirers during the flight, happily posing for some photographs with teenage males (who as a group made up a surprisingly large segment of her fan base).

As the plane touches down at JFK Airport, Michiru feels the familiar sense of longing that she gets whenever she returns to the Big Apple. She had lived in New York City during a critical period of her life, and she still felt that it was the place that best represented home to her. Alas, the West Coast had offered better opportunities for her career development.

After picking up her luggage and heading towards the taxi line, Michiru sees a sign instead for "Miss Kaioh", and finds Taylor and a black sedan waiting for her.

"So we meet again," Taylor exclaims dramatically. "What a surprise!"

Giggling, Michiru climbs into the back seat. She appreciates Taylor's silliness and sense of humour. "You really are everywhere, at all hours of the day. I hope you get overtime pay at least," she comments, as Taylor navigates the sedan through the streets with the skill of a NY cabbie.

"No overtime. But serving Ms. Tenoh is pleasure enough," the burly man replies with a smile, prompting the same reaction in Michiru. "Here we are. Tenoh Motors NYC. If you thought the Vancouver office was nice, then you ain't seen nothing yet, princess."

Indeed, as Michiru rides up the stunning glass elevator, she can't help but be impressed again at what the young but powerful Haruka Tenoh has managed to achieve.


	22. 22

"And last but not least, this is the main boardroom," Haruka introduces, proudly showing off the large office overlooking the Hudson River.

"Oh my," Michiru exclaims, pulling herself up to sit on the boardroom table. "It's so...big. Are you compensating for something, Haruka?"

"Very funny. And can you please get off the table. Please."

Laughing, Michiru hops down and ventures closer to the window. "This really is a gorgeous view of the city."

"Most definitely." Haruka reaches her head down to give her companion a quick kiss. "I'm glad you decided to come."

"Me too. But no promises yet," the smaller girl reminds Haruka. Looking around the boardroom, Michiru's attention is drawn to the blue painting on the far wall, and she wanders over for a closer look. "Now here's a dramatic piece for a boardroom. Darkness...destruction...chaos. You find this to your liking?"

"Oh yes. It's called _The End of the World_, fittingly enough. I bought it a while ago at a charity auction here in the city. I couldn't help myself...there's something about this piece that I find absolutely captivating."

"Is that so?" There is a strange look on Michiru's face, halfway between understanding and awe. "Do you know who the artist is?"

"That I'm not sure of. It's not signed, at least not that I can see."

"What a mystery," the aqua beauty whispers, and for a long moment she is lost in her thoughts.

Haruka coughs intentionally, breaking the trance. "Darling, I have to attend to a few matters before I introduce you to some of the other staff. Can I have Taylor drive you somewhere, or do you want to wait in the office for a few hours? It's up to you."

"I actually need to check my email, but the wireless on my laptop is unreliable," Michiru explains. "Is there any chance I can use your computer?" Haruka hesitates for a moment, but it is enough to leave her vulnerable to Michiru's teasing. "Oh right. Control freak. Sorry, I forgot."

"No, no, it's just that I have a ton of stuff all over my desk right now. It's a total mess." Haruka places a hand to her temple, clearly running through their options. "Okay, why don't I set you up in one of the spare offices, and you can do your work there?"

"That sounds perfect," Michiru responds with a grateful smile. There's a lot to be done, and she is eager to get started.


	23. 23

Seeing as Haruka had so kindly logged right onto the internal network so that Michiru could access the internet, the young reporter feels a twinge of guilt at what needed to happen next. But her job called for it, and Michiru was not one to prioritize anything, even her rapidly growing feelings for the charming business magnate, over her duties.

Dialing her friend's number by heart, Michiru drops her voice to a whisper and listens as Ami Mizuno, aspiring genius at Harvard University, guides her through a complicated series of steps. Soon enough, Michiru has set up her laptop to download all of Haruka's files from the Tenoh Motors server onto an off-site data storage controlled at Ami's end. The information begins transmitting slowly but surely, and Michiru is glad that Haruka will be occupied for at least a couple hours.

Meanwhile, as the files are downloading, Michiru slips out of her empty room and makes her way towards Haruka's office. Fortunately, relying on the ever useful "Where is the ladies room?" line to get past a few curious secretaries, Michiru is able to situate herself at Haruka's chair without a problem. The aqua woman laughs quietly to herself - Haruka was right that her office was a total mess.

Being careful not to disturb the files too noticeably, the journalist begins taking pictures of the many documents that are spread around the office. Emailing copies of each photo to her own email and to Ami, Michiru soon catalogs the entire collection.

Slipping out into the hallway, Michiru heads swiftly back into her spare room. Seeing that the files had successfully transmitted, she unplugs her laptop and returns it to her oversized purse. Closing the command screens, Michiru opens up a regular web browser and logs into her _Vancouver Post_ email account. There is not too much in her inbox, though Setsuna has finally reviewed Michiru's story on Haruka and approved it for publishing.

Minutes later she hears a knock on the door, and Haruka steps into the office. "Babe, I'm exhausted. How about we forget about meeting anybody else today, and just head back to the hotel? Get some room service, use the jacuzzi, all that good stuff?"

"Sounds delightful," Michiru agrees with a smile. "I just finished up here anyway."


	24. 24

Michiru is not exactly surprised that Haruka is staying in a penthouse suite, and that the penthouse suite is both spacious and gorgeous. She tosses her purse and shoes aside, and takes a moment to explore the facilities.

Haruka returns to the guest area from the kitchen with cocktails in both palms, and hands one to Michiru. "Now darling, would you be mad if I said that half the reason I asked you to come to New York is to show you the office here and try to convince you to come on board, and the other half of the reason is so that I could fuck you senseless in this hotel room?"

"And what if I say that I _am _upset?" Michiru asks mischieviously, anticipating where this conversation would go. She tests out one of the armchairs, and sits back when she realizes how comfortable it is.

"Two options," Haruka begins, raising her glass for a 'cheers' and taking a sip. "The first is that I could apologize profusely for being so forward, and spend the rest of the evening begging for your forgiveness. The other is that I could take you anyway, and deal with your fury later."

"Both sound equally compelling," the aqua beauty replies with a demure smile. "Although it _would_ be fun to see you grovel." Downing her drink, Michiru raises her glass to issue a silent challenge.

Haruka takes the bait and finishes the rest of her cocktail as well. Walking over to the younger woman, the blonde presses her lips forcefully against Michiru's, and runs her hands over her body. Kneeling down, Haruka guides Michiru's legs to wrap around her waist, then continues to place kisses on the other girl's mouth and neck. Suddenly, Haruka lifts Michiru out of her seat, and carries the small woman towards the bedroom.

Throwing Michiru down onto the sheets, Haruka quickly peels off the petite lady's dress, revealing her toned and flushed body. Haruka confidently reaches into her dresser for her props, and soon has the younger woman handcuffed to the headboard.

Michiru pulls against the restraints, but they are solid and there's nothing she can do to break free. She feels fabric over her head, and before long she realizes that she's been blindfolded. Moaning, she feels but cannot see Haruka's mouth on her breasts, her teeth on her nipples, her tongue on her stomach. Michiru's moans are temporarily muffled by the force of Haruka's tongue on hers. But the moment that Haruka's mouth moves on to other areas, the aqua beauty's sounds resume, even louder than before. She feels Haruka spreading her legs wider, and then feels the blonde's tongue on her clit, circling it and teasing it. Michiru again strains against the handcuffs, but to no avail. She gasps as Haruka's fingers tease her opening, sometimes moving in, but more often just exploring and pulling at her folds."Please," she moans, eager to be satisfied.

All of Haruka's actions instantly cease, causing Michiru to whimper. "Please...what?" the blonde whispers, voice huskier than ever.

"Please...fuck me," the aqua woman begs. "I want you inside me".

"Good girl," Haruka praises, before pressing her fingers into Michiru's wetness. Gradually building up momentum, going faster and harder, it is only a matter of time before Michiru shudders, cries out, and collapses, exhausted.

"Good girl," Haruka praises again, removing the blindfold and the handcuffs. Kissing Michiru's wrists, which now have a slight trace of red on them, the blonde leaves the younger woman to her dreams.


	25. 25

"I have to admit that you have some good ideas in you," Michiru concedes as she reaches for another chocolate-covered strawberry.

"I assume you're referring to my choice of desserts, and not the way I just blew your mind, but thank you nonetheless," the blonde replies with a sly grin.

"Mmm...both," comes the reply, as Michiru indulges in the memory of being helpless under Haruka's touch.

"I'm glad you think so. I have a few other ideas up my sleeve too."

"Oh really?"

"In fact, you should get dressed. The next surprise is coming up very soon. I'll be right out front." Haruka stands up and heads towards the door, laughing as she takes the rest of the chocolate strawberries with her.

Slipping into an elegant white blouse and dark skirt, and black boots that she bought just for this trip, Michiru is soon ready for the next 'surprise'. Stepping out of the room, she finds Haruka putting on a jacket by the front entrance.

"Here, bring this extra coat just in case," Haruka directs, handing Michiru a light jacket . "It can be a bit chilly where we're going." Taking Michiru by the hand, the blonde leads the other woman to the far window of the suite. "So we just have to step outside, climb the ladder, and we're off from there."

"Are you serious?" Michiru stares out the window, barely seeing the ladder in the darkness.

"Are you afraid?"

"Oh, I'm not afraid. But if anything ruins my new boots, you should be scared for your life."

With that, the two women make their way out the window and up the ladder, and are soon on the roof of their hotel. A helicopter branded with the Tenoh Motors logo awaits them.

"Are you serious?" Michiru repeats, amazed at the lengths that Haruka will go to in order to impress her.

"Welcome aboard," Haruka encourages, helping Michiru climb into her passenger side. Heading around to the driver's door, Haruka straps into her own seat, begins the safety check, and quickly has her machine up in the air for a majestic tour of NYC.

As Michiru watches Haruka concentrate intently on navigating the helicopter, and as Michiru glances down upon the city she loves from overhead, she finally admits to herself that she is falling hard for the other woman.

END OF PART 1


	26. 26

**PART 2**

"Are you sure you have to spend the whole day working?" Haruka questions, biting into her fresh bagel.

"Unfortunately I do. As fun as it would be to spend the day in your office distracting you, Setsuna will have my head if I don't get some articles to her soon." Tying a silk scarf around her neck, Michiru double-checks her purse to make sure that she has everything she needs.

"Fair enough. Can we meet here for dinner, at least?"

"Of course. I look forward to it." After leaning up to place a sweet kiss on Haruka's cheek, Michiru heads out the door. Taking the elevator to the ground level, Michiru doesn't walk out towards the Central Library, where she had suggested she was going, but instead hails a cab and makes her way to the New York Hospital.

Very familiar with the visiting procedures, Michiru quickly tracks down her father's new room, and takes a seat beside his bed. It always pains her to see Kaioh Sr., as he was known in business circles, looking so vulnerable. But perhaps naively, Michiru still has hope that her visits make some difference to his chances for improvement.

Unwrapping her scarf and tying it gently around her father's arm, and then taking her father's hand into her own, the aqua-haired woman begins her usual routine of providing updates about her work. Not long into her rambling, the door opens and a tall man walks through.

"Ah, Michelle. It's nice to see you again."

"Same to you, Doctor. How are things looking?"

"I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but things are taking a turn for the worse. Your father's vital signs have been declining, and at this point my opinion is that his health has no chance of improving."

"I see," the aqua woman replies, wiping at her eyes. "Does my brother know yet?"

"Yes, he was just here the other day and is aware. Ultimately it may come to your brother making a final decision, but for now I recommend that we wait another week or so and see where things are at."

"Okay. Thank you, Doctor."

The large man nods and pats Michiru on the shoulder before exiting.

Michiru sits down again, and takes her father's hand once more. Continuing her update, she focuses on a mundane description of her work at the _Post_, hoping that the insignificant details will prevent her from breaking down. Eventually, though, the young woman recognizes that this may be her final opportunity to speak frankly with her father, and decides to be as honest as possible.

"I've met something special, Daddy. She's incredibly strong-willed and controlling, but also generous and talented in so many ways." Massaging her father's hand, Michiru sighs and feels the long repressed tears finally rise up. "I really care about her. And she gives my life so much more meaning now." Dabbing at her eyes, Michiru decides to let go and let the tears fall.

"The only problem is - I think she's the one who let this happen to you."


	27. 27

It takes some time before Michiru feels composed enough to leave her father's side, but as soon as she does she is stopped in the halls by a familiar voice calling her name.

"Uncle!" she cries, partly in joy at seeing her old mentor in person, and partly in relief at not having to be alone quite yet. "Thank you for being here."

"Of course, my girl," the elderly man replies, pulling the aqua beauty into a supportive hug.

"How are you, Uncle? And is there anything particular that brings you here today?"

"Ah, Michiru, I'm as busy as ever. The big boss has got me flying everywhere. But the only news I have for you is that we expect the Canadian prosecutors to go forward with their charges against Tenoh Motors. They seem convinced that something shady was happening in the company, despite what Haruka Tenoh claims."

Michiru nods, understanding the potential implications.

"Now my dear, I know you've been spending a lot of time with Tenoh because of your assignment. But please be careful. There's something about her and her business that still doesn't add up..."

The young woman nods again, more confused and suspicious than ever.


	28. 28

As Michiru returns to the penthouse suite that afternoon, she's surprised to hear Haruka yelling at full volume into a headset.

"What do you mean, an external security breach? Don't we have a fucking firewall for this kind of thing?" The blonde was not holding anything back, clenching her jaw and then unleashing her full fury at the person on the other end of the line. "Well FIX IT, will you? I can't fucking believe this!"

"Hi...honey," Michiru greets carefully, recognizing that she is in murky waters.

"Yes, hi darling. Hey, listen, something's come up. I'm afraid I can't join you for dinner tonight. Just...too much on my mind at the moment."

"That's fine. Anything I can do to help?"

"Sweet of you to ask, but I've got it under control for the time being. Do you think you'll be okay for the rest of the evening?"

"Actually, I think I'll use the time to fly back to Vancouver. If you don't mind...?"

"That's a good idea, Michiru. I'll get Taylor to drive you from here as soon as you arrange your flight. Sound doable?"

"Yes, that's perfect. I'm sorry that you're having some troubles right now."

"Well, life in the business world. If it's not one thing, it's another. But I saw your piece today in the _Post_. Thank you for that." Haruka's charming smile is back, but her eyes are still cold. "You sure you don't want to work for me?"

"Let's talk about that another time."

"You bet. I can't wait for Part 2 though, when does that come out?"

"It's in progress," Michiru assured the blonde. "I just have to figure out the best way to frame the story." The aqua girl frowns in thought, but covers up her concerns with a sly grin when Haruka looks over. It seemed best to keep playing along for now.


	29. 29

The moment Michiru lands at YVR airport, she calls Ami to touch base on the situation. "Haruka definitely knows that _someone_ broke into their network. But she doesn't know yet who it was. How safe are we?"

"We should be okay," Ami assures. "The procedure we used was very cautious, and shouldn't have left any traces behind."

"_Should_ and _shouldn't have _might not be good enough," the aqua reporter chides. "I'll update you when I know more." Heading back to her apartment, Michiru boots up her two computers as soon as she settles in, and prepares to spend the night pouring over the documents that she downloaded from Tenoh Motors.

Several hours later, Michiru realizes that she will need help if she ever hopes to make it through the volumes of files. Hopeful that she can bring in a particular colleague with a story of romance and mystery, she texts Mina and it is not long before the young blonde appears at Michiru's door.

"Oh this is so exciting!" Mina exclaims, bursting into Michiru's apartment. "I can't believe that someone's trying to frame Haruka's company, and that you're trying to solve the puzzle for her. How sweet of you!"

Michiru laughs, trying to ensure that the joyful feeling reaches her eyes as well. "Thank you so much for coming over, especially at this hour. With Haruka being so stressed right now about her company, I wanted to try to make it through these files and help her get down to the bottom of this as soon as possible."

Mina is already sipping at some tea that Michiru has prepared, and looking through the documents on the laptop. The aqua woman smiles for real, pleased that she was right about Mina being an airhead in personality, but a serious and diligent worker when the time came for it.

It is close to two in the morning when the women make their first breakthrough. "Look at this, Michiru," Mina begins. "All the memos in the system are named and numbered the same generic way. Except for these." Pointing at a series of Word documents drafted in memo format, Michiru can see that they _are_ strangely labelled.

"Well let's find out what's in them, shall we?"

Clicking on the earliest document, which was dated about nine months prior, the girls see that it is a memo authored by Haruka, with the subject line "Memo to file: Incident in Hong Kong."

"Hong Kong? That's where the first accident occurred," Michiru muses. Reading further, the aqua woman sees that Haruka has laid out a concise summary of the event, which landed the driver and a passenger in the hospital, finishing with the sentence, "Must ask Yamada to assess reason for brake failure asap."

The second document revealed more of the same. This one, titled "Memo to file: Second incident in Ontario", detailed a crash that happened in Toronto. An accident which Michiru was already intimately aware of the details of. Although the report was sparse on the victim's description, Michiru could have easily filled in the blanks. The memo ended with "Yamada to confirm whether cause of accident was same brake issue as HK."

The women quickly read through the other half dozen memos in the folder, which itself was misleadingly named 'Tax Planning'. It seemed that there had been even more brake failures than had been uncovered by the media, as some of the victims had survived their crashes with no serious injuries and been easily reimbursed for their troubles. Every memo included a reference to Yamada, with Haruka's sentences showing increased agitation. In the final memo, dated just two months prior, Haruka had written: "Something seriously fucked up about Yamada's work. Confrontation inevitable."

"Well, we're definitely on to something here. Do you want to get some rest, and we can grab a taxi together to the office in the morning?" Michiru is starting to feel the strain of the day, and hopes that the other girl will agree to her plan.

"Are you kidding? This is so exciting!" Mina replies, slurping at the ramen that Michiru has made for her. "I feel like a secret agent. Or a hacker. Something's definitely up here." Suddenly, as though a lightbulb had went off over her head, Mina turns and gives Michiru a serious look. "The only thing is...I don't think Haruka's going to end up as the hero in this story."

Michiru nods. "I can see that. But our duty as reporters is to find out the truth. As disappointing as the truth may be." With that, the aqua woman takes her seat again beside the young blonde, and they continue to peruse the files in Haruka Tenoh's secret folder.


	30. 30

"So it looks like Yamada is the chief engineer or mechanic that signed off on the safety inspections of each of the SUVs in question," Mina concludes, as the women complete their review of the documents.

"And yet there's no mention of a Yamada anywhere else in the files..." Michiru frowns.

"No, and nothing on the Tenoh Motors website either, even though everyone in the company has a profile page."

"He must have been fired, and all his information wiped out," the aqua reporter guesses. "Tenoh Motors is a large enough company that one firing wouldn't have raised too many suspicions."

"But regardless of who or where Yamada is, it's clear that Haruka believes that Yamada's work was connected to the crashes."

"Mm hmm," Michiru agrees, deep in thought.

"Will you write about this? Expose the truth?"

"I think I have to. But not before giving Haruka a chance to address the allegations that I - we're - going to make. That is, if you want to be in on this piece?"

Mina's eyes light up again, as she acknowledges the impact this could have on her journalism career. "Absolutely. Thank you, Michiru."

"Good. Now let's get our beauty sleep. I have a feeling we're in for a long day tomorrow."


	31. 31

Fueled by their new insights and determined to expose the truth as quickly as possible, Michiru and Mina spend a long ten hours at the _Post_ office writing and reviewing their piece. Ignoring their other colleagues and assignments, the young reporters are able to complete a full first draft before nightfall, which they leave at Setsuna's desk for her review the next day. As was often the case, their boss was out of the country on holidays, and would not be responding to work calls or emails until her return.

After treating Mina to dinner and paying for the blonde's taxi home, Michiru finally makes her way back to her own apartment. Exhausted by the last few days' events, the aqua woman hopes to get in at least a few hours of sleep before resuming her work.

Her plan to catch up on rest comes to a quick end when she opens her door and finds Haruka lounging on her couch. Repeatedly tossing what appears to be a lemon up into the air, Haruka's simple gesture is both endearing and intimidating at the same time. "Hello, darling. I've been wondering when you'd be back."

"What a _pleasant s_urprise to find you here uninvited and unannounced. Please, make yourself at home."

"Thank you, dear. I think I will." Peeling off her motorcycle jacket, the blonde props her feet up against Michiru's coffee table, and narrows her eyes at the smaller woman. "In fact, you seem to have made yourself right at home at my office the other day."

"Of course, you asked me to," Michiru replies, injecting a teasing tone into her voice.

"Hmm. Not so much that you had permission to take a few souvenirs with you. Or are you denying that you're the one who broke into my confidential files?"

"Ah, Haruka. I have to admit that my curiosity may have gotten the best of me. How could I resist having a peek into your computer after you logged me in?"

"Stop playing games, Michiru." Haruka catches the lemon in mid-air, and squeezes it so hard that juice starts to leak out. "You not only looked into my files, you somehow downloaded them as well. I'm guessing they ended up right at _The Vancouver Post_. Or perhaps they're on your laptop. You know I have to destroy that now."

"Alas, I don't have my computer on me. Still at the office, I'm afraid." Michiru flinches as the lemon flies by her head. The fruit was obviously thrown wide of her body, but the intention behind the action was clear. "My my, such a temper, Haruka."

"So did you find anything of use in my files?" the blonde snarls, sitting back against the couch.

"Quite a lot, actually. In fact, why don't you look at this," Michiru reaches into her bag and pulls out a copy of her work from the day, "and tell me what you think." As Haruka grabs the papers and begins scanning through them, Michiru sends a quick text on her phone. "And by the way...if you so much as take one step towards me in the next three minutes, the police will be here to bust your ass before you know it."

Frowning and narrowing her eyes, Haruka reads through the report. By the end, instead of looking furious, she just looks defeated. Shoulders slumped, eyes pleading, she asks if Michiru is really going to run the story.

The aqua reporter sighs, angry at herself for feeling a twinge of sympathy and longing as she takes in Haruka's demeanour. "One way or another, the truth has to come out. But whether it's through my words or yours is up to you."


	32. 32

"Can we have a drink. Sit down. Talk about this?" Haruka proposes.

"I don't really have a choice, do I?" Michiru replies. Heading to her kitchen for wine and glasses, she uses the opportunity to send another quick text to confirm that she has the situation under control. "And where do you want to begin?" she asks, pouring Haruka a nice full glass. The aqua woman takes a seat on the couch, prepared to listen to the whole story.

"Well, you've basically got it figured out," Haruka starts, her eyes revealing reluctant admiration. "As soon as I learned about the first accident, I started investigating what had happened. I was hoping that the brake failure had been an isolated incident. And...Yamada, my top mechanic at the time, assured me that it was. But then the second accident happened...and the third...and so on."

"And Yamada was the connection between all of them?"

"Yes. Even though Yamada is - was - the chief mechanic, he didn't have to sign off on all the vehicles. We have a system where the other mechanics do that too, since we have so many vehicles in production. But it turned out that with the SUVs that were involved in the accidents, they were all signed off on by Yamada. He was the one who had performed those safety checks and gave the clearance for the cars to be taken to market."

"So you confronted him?"

"Yes, but he denied any wrongdoing, at first. He tried to convince me that it was all a coincidence. Or even that he had been framed. He refused to take any responsibility for what had happened. It was only when I started to tell him that I'd have to hand the matters over to external authorities for a full investigation that he started to crack."

"In what way?"

"He just broke down. Told me that he and his wife were in the process of separating, that he wouldn't get to see his kids as much, and that he had been hitting the bottle hard. He confessed that he sometimes signed off on vehicles without actually performing the safety inspections."

"Are you serious?"

"That's what I said. But that was the story that he stuck to. He told me straight up that he hadn't been doing his job properly. And that's the story that I believe."

"And you fired him, I'm assuming?"

"Not quite. I demoted him, but didn't fire him."

"Haruka - how could you let this man continue to work for you?"

"Michiru," and Haruka's voice is soft, pleading again. "You have to understand something about me. And that is that I will _never_ betray those I care about. Yamada, for all his flaws, is one of my oldest and dearest friends. He was my mentor and teammate in my racing days. I couldn't just let him go."

"Even now?"

"Especially now."


	33. 33

"You would really allow the victims to continue to suffer, knowing full well that it was your own company's negligence that led to the accidents?" Michiru's voice is ice and she stares at Haruka as though seeing the blonde woman for the first time.

"I'm sorry, Michiru. As bad as I feel about what happened, I can't sacrifice my company or throw _any_ of my employees to the wolves."

"These victims were your customers, Haruka. They paid you. They trusted your product. And now they're dying because of it."

"Let's not exaggerate. Most of the accidents resulted in only minor injuries. The more seriously injured are all recovering, and believe it or not, Tenoh Motors is actually covering those health care costs, even though we don't accept responsibility for what happened."

"You can justify it in your mind all you want, Haruka," the aqua woman spits out, "but I was right about you from the start. You're nothing but a coward."

"You watch yourself," the blonde warns, menace in her voice. "It may have been a little funny when you insulted my integrity the first time, but there's nothing funny about it now."

Michiru lets out a derisive laugh. "I think the joke's on me, Haruka Tenoh. I let you charm me, touch me, _fuck me_, and for what? Just to have my gut instincts proven after all? What an expensive lesson."

Haruka mouth sets into a hard line and she looks as if she's about to explode when Michiru's phone rings, breaking the tension for a moment.

Glancing at her call display, Michiru frowns and then looks up in wry amusement. "I'm sorry, but I actually have to take this." Stepping into her kitchen, she answers the call. "Michael? What? Really. Oh my god. I'll...I'll be there as soon as I can."

"What's going on?", the blonde woman asks from behind Michiru, all trace of venom gone from her voice.

Michiru's eyes harden to keep herself from crying, and she tells Haruka the truth. "It's my father. He just passed away. I have to get back to New York as soon as I can."

"I'll take you," Haruka offers, stepping closer to the aqua woman.

"No, it's okay. It'll be easy enough to take a red eye. But...thank you."

Haruka steps even closer and takes Michiru's hand into her own. "No, I mean I'll take you there now. In my private jet."

Michiru lets out a small laugh. "Of course you have a private jet," she mutters, and allows herself to surrender into Haruka's warm embrace.


	34. 34

As to be expected, the funeral is a solemn affair, and there are many in attendance to pay respects to a man who had been a great business leader, a generous contributor to many important causes, and a loving and devoted father.

The occasion was also marked by the announcement of Michael Kaioh as the new head of Kaioh Enterprises. As the only son in the family, Michiru's younger brother had been groomed since early on to one day take over the company.

Michiru saw her brother only rarely, both of their busy schedules getting in the way of close contact. But she always enjoyed his company, and respected his opinions whether they were about personal or professional matters.

"Michi. Thank you again for coming so quickly the other night, and for helping me make all the arrangements."

"Of course, Mikey. What are big sisters for?"

"Man...I miss him already."

"Me too." Michiru's tears have been exhausted by this point, and she is at the stage where she is starting to accept the reality of the situation.

"Hey...are you still with that photographer?" Michael asks, always happy to tease his sister about her love life.

"Ah, no. Mamoru and I were never together. Just friends."

"Riiiight. What about that cute girl in your office? Did you take her home yet?"

"Mikey! God." But Michiru can't help laughing when she hears her brother's giggling. "I've actually...been seeing someone special lately."

"Oh really? Poor fellow. Or gal."

"Something like that. I don't think you would approve, though."

"Try me. I'm not as old fashioned as Pop, you know."

Michiru hesitates, then bites the bullet. "I've been seeing Haruka Tenoh."

Michaels' face instantly changes. "You better be pulling my leg, Michi."

The aqua reporter is about to respond when she feels a gentle hand at the back of her elbow. She looks up to see Haruka, carefully attired in black, joining her.

Michael reaches out his hand. "Michael Kaioh. You must be the infamous Haruka Tenoh. My sister was just telling me about you two."

"Pleased to meet you. I'm so sorry for your loss," Haruka states, accepting the handshake.

"Thank you, Tenoh-san. But you know...it always warms my heart when I hear of a romance that overcomes all obstacles," Michael continues. "Isn't that right, you guys? I mean, who would have thought that Michi would lose her mind over the very person who's responsible for her father's death? What an inspiring story, really." With that, Michael gives Michiru a stern and disappointed look, turns away, and moves forward to greet other visitors waiting to pay their respects.

Looking shocked, Haruka gazes at Michiru and opens her mouth to speak. But Michiru puts a finger up to Haruka's lips, silencing her. Shaking her head and mouthing, "Later", the aqua woman continues to mix with her guests, as the tall blonde waits on the sidelines.


	35. 35

The moment that the two women return to Haruka's penthouse suite, the blonde's curiosity overtakes her and she blurts out, "Is it true, Michiru?"

"You mean, is it true that my father suffered severe injuries after his newly purchased luxury SUV failed to stop at a red light, causing his car to be hit directly by an oncoming truck? Is it true that because of my father's old age, he was never able to recover? Yes, it's true, Haruka. All of it."

Looking horrified, Haruka whispers, "I'm so sorry."

"I know you are. But what's done is done. You can't change the past now. And by the way, there was a reason I didn't ask you to come today."

The blonde tries to take Michiru's hand, but the smaller woman visibly bristles at the touch. "Michiru, please accept my apologies. Please forgive me."

"In time, I very well may. But for now, I have a lot of thinking to do." The aqua woman's eyes are stormy, and she retreats to the spare room, leaving Haruka far behind.


	36. 36

The business world is attentive as Haruka Tenoh, owner and CEO of Tenoh Motors Inc., announces that there will be a press conference at 4 p.m. Eastern Standard Time in the New York City office to address the ongoing criminal and civil legal proceedings associated with the company.

Although Michiru would rather be anywhere else on the planet, she understands the importance of the event, and finds a seat at the back of the packed auditorium with a few minutes to spare.

In stark contrast to the previous publicity opportunities, there was no flirting, no charm, to the CEO's speech. Instead, everyone could see that Haruka Tenoh was, finally, being dead serious.

"Thank you for being here. I just a have a brief statement prepared for this afternoon, and then we will be hosting a second press conference early next week when we're able to give the media the full details of the situation. But for now, I wish to say this: Tenoh Motors is currently working to settle the civil claims against it relating to the mechanical failures in our SUVs over the last nine months, and the company is prepared to cooperate fully with Canadian authorities in the criminal proceedings. In other words, we will not be disputing the criminal or civil claims in court."

Haruka looks ready to leave the stage, but a strong male voice cuts through the crowd. "Ms. Tenoh, what caused this change in position?"

Spending a moment to look through the auditorium, as though searching for Michiru, Haruka takes a deep breath and answers. "Something happened very recently that brought me out of the clouds and back to reality. I don't know if this is a matter of public knowledge, but I lost my natural parents when I was very young. They were killed in a car crash."

The members of the audience gasp in sympathy. Apparently Haruka's history had been a well kept secret after all.

"Something happened today that reminded me of all the pain I felt when my parents died. All the anger, the suffering. All the questions I had about what killed them, and why they had to die like that. And I realized, perhaps too late now, that all I ever wanted were answers. The truth. I never got that. The police were never able to figure out for certain what caused my parents to lose control of their vehicle and leave me an orphan at five years of age."

Looking around again, Haruka finds Michiru at the back, and makes eye contact with her for a brief moment. The blonde finishes up, "So now, when I think back and remember the pain I was in, I can understand how the victims and their families must be feeling right now. And if Tenoh Motors was responsible for these accidents, then I want that to be known. The victims should know the truth. They _deserve_ to know the truth."

The blonde steps off the stage, leaving the reporters half in applause and half in stunned silence.


	37. 37

When Michiru steps out of the shower at the penthouse suite later that evening, she finds Haruka propped up against the windowsill in the guest area. Although she had removed her suit jacket since the press conference, the blonde still had her tie, white collared shirt, and tailored pants on. With the top button of the shirt undone, and the tie loosened up, Haruka looks both debonair and dishevelled at the same time. Michiru can feel her heart racing once again.

"Michiru, I..." Haruka doesn't seem to know where to begin. She is staring at her hands, seemingly lost in thought. "These hands are tainted now," she mumbles, perhaps to herself.

The aqua woman approaches the window, and sits down where Haruka's feet are resting. She takes Haruka's right hand into her own, and caresses it gently.

"Michiru?" the blonde questions, injecting a whole universe of meaning into the one word.

"It's all right," Michiru whispers, "I still like your hands." She stares deep into the blonde's eyes, conveying only caring and compassion. Any remnants of her anger and hurt have dissipated.

Haruka pulls Michiru in close, and leans in for a lingering kiss. "_Aishteru_," the blonde murmurs into the other's ear, the single phrase expressing everything that Michiru ever needed to know.

The two women enjoy each other's company for a moment longer, and then Michiru is forced to break the spell. "Haruka, darling, let me go change from this towel into something decent. And then let's go out for a bite to eat, all right?"

The tall woman nods and grins.


	38. 38

Michiru has just barely changed into her blouse and capris when the commotion starts. Grabbing her purse, the young reporter slips quietly into the kitchen, where she can get a better view of what's going on.

"Tenoh! You fucking asshole!"

Michiru is surprised to see Haruka's security guard, the burly Taylor, waving a gun at Haruka's head.

"Hey, calm down now," Haruka tries, putting her hands up to signify a peace-making attempt.

"Calm down? Tenoh, you fucking son of a bitch. You've ruined me!" To emphasize his point, the big man kicks over a chair in the guest area.

"What exactly are you talking about?" Haruka tries again to settle the situation.

"Oh, so you're going to play dumb now? Hmm, okay, let me spell it out to you. Let's pretend that it was _your_ boss who just announced to the world that he was going to hand you over to the authorities. Let's say it's _your_ ass that's going to end up in jail. Or _your_ neck that's going to be wrung by the Mafia."

"What, the Mafia? What are you talking about, Yamada?"

Michiru stifles a cry as she watches 'Taylor' suddenly kick Haruka hard at the knee and bring the tall woman down to the floor. The blonde groans and puts her hands over her head to show her surrender.

"God, Tenoh, are you really that stupid?" Leaning down over the blonde, the security guard growls out his sob story. "For years I've watched your company succeed, Haruka. And with every quarter, every milestone, I've watched you increase your own wealth. Another car. Another house. It's never enough for you, is it? And meanwhile, I'm barely making ends meet, barely able to support myself and my family."

"Yamada, please. You earned a very generous salary. It's not my fault that you drank and gambled it away."

Kicking Haruka in the stomach, the big man laughs and leans back down. "You're so arrogant, Tenoh. When I first met you, you were a nobody. And I taught you, and I trained you, and I made you so good at racing that we were teammates. Partners. Equals! Without me, you'd still be a punk kid wasting away your life."

The burly man sighs dramatically and lands another heavy kick against Haruka's ribs. "But when you built your company, did you make me an equal? Hell no. Sure, you gave me a nice title and a fair chunk of change. But did you let me make any important decisions? Introduce any of the cars at the PR events? Even attend any of the charity functions? No. You wanted all the fame, all that glory, all the women, all to your own. You selfish prick."

"Yamada, I'm sorry," Haruka concedes. "You're right, I should have involved you more in the company. Made us equal partners."

"Yes, you should have. But it's too late now. I was hired to do a side job, and I did it very well. And I was so, so close to collecting my award, Haruka. That is, until you ruined everything today."

"Honestly, Yamada, I still don't understand."

"SHUT UP!" the big man warns again, stepping onto Haruka's back until the blonde cries out. Moving away from the blonde to stare out the window, Yamada begins his full explanation.


	39. 39

"Haruka, Haruka, Haruka. So successful and yet still so naive. Did you really think that all those brake failures were 'accidents'? What kind of incompetent idiot do you think I am?" The big man takes a moment to gather his breath, and is just about to continue when he suddenly lets out a yell.

With perfect precision, Michiru has lodged one bullet into Yamada's left leg, and one bullet into his right hand to make him drop his gun. Sprinting out from the kitchen, she helps Haruka stand and move away from the madman.

Haruka's eyes are full of questions but she knows not to ask them right now. Michiru keeps her weapon aimed on Yamada, who is now groaning in pain on the floor, and moves forward to kick his gun away from him and closer to Haruka, who picks it up and holds it against her chest. Motioning for Haruka to follow her, Michiru attempts to open the front door, but finds that it is jammed. And despite using their full strength, the two women cannot get the door to cooperate.

"Michiru, let's just get onto the roof," Haruka pants out, "We can call for help from there."

Nodding, the aqua girl turns back towards the windows, and see that Yamada has gotten onto his knees. As Haruka's former employee laughs maniacally, he opens his jacket to reveal that he is not alone.

Strapped to his stomach is a large and loudly ticking bomb.


	40. 40

"You've got 30 seconds, ladies," the big man growls, blood spilling from his wounds.

"Oh for fuck's sake," Michiru shoots Yamada again in the thigh to ensure that he doesn't interfere with their escape, then helps Haruka out the window and towards the ladder that leads to the roof.

Obviously struggling and in pain, Haruka scrambles up the ladder as quickly as she can, with Michiru right on her heels.

"Haruka, your chopper, we have to get out of here!"

Haruka grimaces and manages to pull herself up into her front seat, then reaches over to open the passenger side.

The aqua woman has barely climbed into the pit when she feels the intense heat against her back as the roof erupts. The last thing she sees as she slips out of consciousness is the entire world on fire.


	41. 41

When Michiru finally opens her eyes, she finds a familiar face looking down at her.

"Ah, you're back. Very good."

"What...happened?"

"I'll let your friend here tell you. But your vitals are looking good, okay? I'll be back to check on you later."

"Okay. Thank you, Doctor."

As Michiru watches the doctor step out of the room, she feels a warm hand on hers, and then a warm mouth on hers. She sighs contently and melts into the kiss.

When they finally break their embrace, both women are out of breath. "Michiru," Haruka begins, "I'm so happy you're okay. And I'm so sorry about everything that happened."

"Shh -" the aqua girl begins, but winces in pain. Her back hurt like a bitch, and she guessed that she had suffered some burns in the explosion.

"Just take it easy, darling," Haruka murmurs, placing a soft kiss on Michiru's forehead. The blonde then grimaces herself, and touches the bandages around her chest and stomach.

"Aren't we quite the pair?" the smaller woman teases, but is silenced by the delicious feeling of Haruka's lips on hers.


	42. 42

Michiru had tried to demand, beg, bargain, argue, and even flirt her way to being released from the hospital so that she could attend the Tenoh Motors press conference in person, but the good Doctor had refused. Consequently, the aqua beauty found herself watching the live telecast on the tiny television across from her bed. She had been watching a lot of news lately, and found it amusing that Haruka and her "unidentified female friend" were dominating the headlines.

Today Haruka was looking dapper in her maroon suit, even on the small screen, and Michiru had to admit that the cane was a nice touch. The blonde didn't _really_ need the wooden support, but she had reasoned, quite correctly, that it would help her seem more sympathetic in the public eye.

Reaching the podium, Haruka greeted the crowd members, who clapped politely, and then began her prepared speech:

"Ladies and gentlemen of the press. Valued shareholders. And those who suffered accidents while riding in Tenoh Motors cars. This message is for all of you.

As you know from my update last week, our company has been in talks with everyone affected by the brake failures in our vehicles to settle the entire matter. I can tell you now that early this morning, we agreed to the terms of that settlement. The victims will be adequately compensated, and Tenoh Motors will accept full responsibility for the accidents.

In terms of the criminal proceedings, I am pleased to announce that the Canadian prosecutors have decided not to pursue their charges against our company. Accordingly, there will be no criminal sanctions against Tenoh Motors.

And lastly, in the hopes that you will continue to support Tenoh Motors and our luxury cars, which I vow will be the absolute safest cars in the market from this moment on, I am revealing that 80% of the compensation fund for the victims will come from my own pocket. And yes, that does mean that my jet, helicopter, motorcycles, cars, cottage, and downtown condo are all up for sale, so please drop me a line if you're looking to buy. But more seriously, I am also resigning from my position as CEO of the company, and will sell half of my shares back to the company at a very fair rate.

In closing, I am confident that Tenoh Motors will recover from my mistakes, and soon re-emerge as the premier car company in the world. It has been a pleasure to speak with you today. Thank you for indulging me."

With that, the blonde turns away from the stage, and limps off without leaving any time or opening for questions.


	43. 43

"Well, if I'm only going to have my toys for another two weeks, we might as well enjoy them, right?" The blonde raises a cocky eyebrow at Michiru. The two women are riding in Haruka's convertible, having finally earned their full release from the New York Hospital to return to the West Coast. Michiru's back is recovering nicely, and Haruka's injuries are no longer bothering her.

The smaller girl nods and laughs, displaying a good sense of humour. What she doesn't let show is how much she truly appreciates Haruka's gesture to compensate for the damage that had been done. With such an important part of Haruka's identity coming from her success and role at her company, Michiru could sense that Yamada's betrayal and its fallout was affecting the blonde more than she was letting on. Reaching over to squeeze Haruka's knee, the aqua woman smiles in silent gratitude and looks back out at the winding coastline.

Reaching the Island cottage at record speed, Haruka parks the car, then helps her companion with her bags. As they enter the front door, Haruka merely tosses everything onto the ground, then grabs the aqua beauty's hand and tugs her toward the bedroom. "Don't worry," the tall woman says, "I won't take advantage of you in your current state. Let's just relax and talk."

Settling into the comfortable bed, Haruka pulls Michiru close, then finally asks the question that's been burning on her mind since the incident at the hotel: "How did you learn to shoot a gun like that!"

"You know you haven't thanked me yet for saving your butt," the aqua girl admonishes.

"I'm eternally grateful that you saved my life," Haruka solemnly states. "But seriously, where the hell did you learn to shoot like that?"

Grinning, Michiru slowly lets the secret out. "Well, surely you've realized by now that I'm an intelligence agent. Also known as a spy. So I've had considerable training in a number of different areas. In fact, I could have flown your helicopter if I wasn't otherwise indisposed."

Haruka's eyes widen with excitement. "Wow...so do you have any cool gadgets?"

"Really? _That's_ what you're focusing on?"

"Sorry, darling. What I meant was, how long have you been a spy for?"

"About three years now, I guess. I was recruited during one of my tours. Hence the 'early retirement' from my musical career."

"But what about being a reporter?"

"Just a cover story, Haruka. I don't have any journalism background. And my superiors arranged for the position with _The Vancouver Post_ - the people at the paper have no idea what I really do."

"Oh, wow. No wonder your online profile was so lame." Haruka grimaces in exaggerated pain as she feels a pillow wallop her head. "And was it a difficult decision to join your agency? Interpol? FBI? CIA? CSIS? MI-6?"

Laughing, Michiru plants a kiss on Haruka's mouth to shut the blonde up. "Not telling. But yes, it was a very difficult decision. I wasn't yet at the pinnacle of my musical career. I still hadn't broken into the European concert circuit, and I felt like I had a lot more to offer the world in terms of my playing. But this kind of opportunity to save lives and stop evil forces in the world just doesn't present itself that often. So I made the choice I had to, and here I am."

Haruka's big eyes reveal a whole new level of admiration, and she continues to pepper her companion with questions until the aqua woman has had enough and distracts the blonde in much funner ways.


	44. 44

"This is really nice, isn't it?" Michiru asks as the two women enjoy a glass of champagne and watch the sun go down. She had been spending the last few days lounging in the hot tub, swimming in the ocean, playing the violin, driving around in Haruka's convertible, and generally getting lost in her own thoughts. It had been a most relaxing time for the aqua goddess.

"Definitely," the blonde agrees, feeling more at ease. Haruka had been spending her time organizing the sales of her properties and possessions, watching the Tenoh Motors stock go up and down until it stabilized at a higher-than-expected value due to a large share purchase by Kaioh Enterprises, and answering her successor's frantic calls and emails on a regular basis. She was in need of a real break.

"Any idea what you want to do next, Ms. former F1 champion and former CEO?"

Taking a long breath to think and to savour the moment, Haruka finally settles on her most honest answer. "It doesn't matter, as long as I'm with you."


	45. 45

The peaceful moment is interrupted by Michiru's phone ringing for the first time in days. Glancing at the caller ID, Michiru gives her companion an apologetic look and takes the call.

"Hello? Oh, Uncle! Yes, I'm okay. Doing much better, thank you...okay, okay. Thank you for that update. And what? Really? M wants to meet with me in person? When? All right. I understand. Bye now, Uncle." After hanging up, Michiru puts her phone back on the side table, and resumes sipping her drink and watching the sunset.

Only a few minutes go by before Haruka's curiosity gets the best of her, and she stares pointedly at Michiru, then the phone, then Michiru again.

The aqua woman giggles and then fills in the blanks for the blonde. "That was my Uncle. Well, he's not literally my uncle. He's more like...my handler. The person who originally recruited me, and who checks in whenever he can to make sure that I'm doing all right. Sometimes I think he's my closest friend in the world."

Haruka nods, fascinated. "And what did he tell you?"

"Well first he told me that the investigations into your case are ongoing. We're now following up on leads about Yamada's connection to the Mafia, and how that played into things."

"Whew. I had no idea. Um, anything else?"

"Something very surprising, actually. He says that M wants to meet me. M is my uncle's boss. He's basically the head of our agency, or at least that's how I understand it. Very few people have ever seen him."

"And when are you meeting him?"

"In five days, apparently. And there's a catch."

"Hmm?"

"You've been invited too."


	46. 46

Michiru feels strangely satisfied as she and Haruka wait on top of the Eiffel Tower for M to arrive.

Having spent the last few days helping Haruka organize her affairs and prepare for her media interviews, the aqua beauty is glad to finally get away and be prepped for her next assignment. And being able to meet her boss's boss was an unexpected honour.

Haruka, on the other hand, appears nervous. "What do you guys want with me?" she growls, half jokingly and half not. After all the 'adventures' of the last few weeks, she wasn't sure how much more excitement she could handle. Even if that excitement started with a scenic view of the City of Lights.

As the two lock hands and stare out into the night sky, they hear a warm and familiar voice behind them.

"Good evening, Neptune. Haruka."

Michiru turns around and gasps, recognizing her editor from the _Post_. "Setsuna? You're...M?"

The glint in the woman's eye and the mysterious smile playing on her lips serves as confirmation.


	47. 47

"I'm glad you're both alive and well," Setsuna Meioh continues. "It seemed like a close one, there."

"It was," Haruka agrees, finding her voice. She hadn't seen Setsuna in a long time, and the last place she expected to come across this woman again was here.

"I wanted to meet with you both so that I could introduce your next mission myself. That is, if you're agreeable to taking it." Hearing no reply, the green-haired woman carries on. "I've been keeping an eye on you both for some time now. Haruka - I'm not sure how you ever plan on paying back my initial investment into your company now that you're broke. But I guess you I can be lenient on the loan terms. And Michiru - that was some excellent work you did in Vancouver. Even your newspaper articles were spot on - good to know that we can disguise you as a journalist anytime."

Still feeling caught off guard, the aqua woman merely nods.

"So we have a situation here in Paris that needs to be dealt with. Over the last week people have been found dead in the streets with their chests split open and their hearts removed using some sort of mechanical contraption. It's quite gruesome, really. The British papers are calling him, or her, 'The Pure Hearts Predator'."

"You...want me to help Michiru?" Haruka asks, not quite following.

"Yes. But not just help her this once. I want you to join our organization, full time. The details of the contract are in here," Setsuna pulls out a small envelope, "and we need you to make a decision in...the next five minutes."


	48. 48

Opening the envelope and reading through the contract, Haruka can see that the organization is asking for a lifelong commitment of her mind, body, and even spirit. The terms of the agreement are intimidating, to say the least.

"So now you know how it feels when someone foists an offer on you and insists that you take it," Michiru whispers, looking over Haruka's shoulder.

"Hmm, yes, sorry about that," Haruka offers, but she is distracted by the words in front of her.

"Haruka..." Michiru is being serious now, pulling the blonde close and running one of her hands through the blonde's hair. "Please don't accept this contract. The sacrifice is too great."

"Sacrifice?"

Looking deep into Haruka's eyes, Michiru describes the severity of the agreement. "Your life will never be your own again. You'll hardly be able to see your family. You're never going to be able to make lasting friendships as you're moved from one location to another. And whatever other dreams or goals you have for yourself, you'll have to set them aside for the greater good."

Looking deep in thought, Haruka turns towards Setsuna. "So if I accept...will I always be partnered with Michiru?"

The mysterious M nods. "I've always thought that agents work better in pairs anyway." She snaps her fingers, and a masked Mamoru emerges from the shadows to join Setsuna by her side.

"What? But you're my photographer?" Michiru exclaims, finding the whole situation absurd. Mamoru merely grins and shrugs. The aqua-haired woman turns back towards Haruka, "Please. You have to understand _everything_ that you're giving up if you sign on. There is no turning back."

The blonde is firm, and directs her conditions to the garnet woman. "If I am to be partnered up with Michiru for all my assignments, and I mean _every _assignment, then I accept."

Setsuna's eyes are inscrutable but her mouth lifts into a semi-smile. "So we have ourselves a deal."


	49. 49

Mamoru hands Haruka an envelope, and explains its contents to the pair: "These are your instructions for this mission, along with your new address and new identities. Your Japanese names were too obvious this time. Make sure you brush up on your French, but Québécois is fine if you know it better. And make sure you're subtle about how you do things. If the local police get down to the bottom of this situation before you do, that's okay. But they can't catch on to what you're doing. Understand?"

The women can only nod.

"Good. The timeframe is three weeks to start with, and we'll see how things look from there. Good luck, agents." With that, both he and Setsuna vanish from the platform.

Michiru turns to Haruka and stares hard. "You're an idiot."

The blonde tucks the envelopes away in her trench coat and grins. "I know."


	50. 50

"So shall we get started, then?" Michiru asks, looking down on their new surroundings again and tracking the flow of the Seine River under warm city lights.

"Soon..." Haruka replies, recapturing the smaller woman's attention by pressing their mouths together into a deep kiss.

Returning the favour with all her passion, Michiru relishes the perfection of the moment, the complete sense of fulfillment at being in Haruka's arms. Paris may be her new city, but being with Haruka now feels like home. "_Je t'aime_," the aqua woman whispers, finally expressing her truth in words.

"I love you too." After giving her new partner another long kiss, the blonde sighs in contentment as a slight breeze rustles around her. Taking Michiru's hand once more, the tall woman stares out at the sky and then back towards her goddess, her face serious. "The monsters in this world will still be out there when the sun rises...so I'm not letting you go tonight, darling."

"_Ara_! My love." And with that, Michiru runs her hand through soft blonde hair, and pulls Haruka in for another lingering embrace under the stars.

THE END

* * *

_Author's Notes: _

Thank you very, very much for reading. Although I wrote this tale over the last week, in some ways this story has been a work-in-progress for the last ten years. Indeed, it was about a decade ago that I was introduced to Naoko Takeuchi's _Bishōjo Senshi Sailor Moon _and her characters of Haruka and Michiru. Since that time I have always admired and adored the love and partnership between the feisty blonde and the elegant violinist, and I hope that I have done them justice in this fic.

I also want to give E.L. James proper credit for inspiring me with her novel, _Fifty Shades of Grey_. While I can't honestly say that I'm a huge fan of her book, her characters (particularly Christian Grey and his security guard Taylor) and set-up were what sparked my ideas for this story, which I very much appreciate.

Finally, I wish to give a shout-out to my other sources of inspiration, which include: James Bond, _The Dark Knight_ movie trilogy, the _Iron Man _movies, _The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo_ novel and movies, and the tv show _Suits_.

Thank you again for reading, I am so grateful that you took the time to do so. And if you could please leave a review and/or PM me if you enjoyed the story, that would be very helpful. I have a few ideas for a sequel(s), but that may depend on whether there's an audience for it.

Your fellow H&M fan,

-therunawayrogue


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